The present invention relates generally to clean-up pans, and more particularly to a clean-up pan having a side edge portion defining a pouring spout. In gathering waste, the pan of the invention is utilized in the general manner of conventional pans to accumulate thereon waste, such as trash, leaves, debris, etc. The accumulated waste is discharged from the pan by tilting it to gravitationally discharge it via the defined pouring spout.
A conventional debris or dust pan comprises a flat bottom wall having upstanding flanges or side walls on three of its four edges, and the fourth frontal edge forms an open mouth for accepting debris. A broom or rake may be used to sweep debris into the dust pan. The pan is emptied of accumulated trash or waste by tilting the pan forwardly and downwardly to lower the pan front edge to gravitationally discharge the waste material.
The flat bottom wall of a conventional dust pan is not satisfactory for discharge of accumulated debris. Accumulated debris is distributed along the length of the front edge of the pan bottom wall so that the discharged stream of debris tends to be relatively wide transversely of the pan. If a trash container or other receiving receptacle has a relatively small mouth, some of the debris will likely spill outside the receptacle. This spilling problem limits the width of the conventional dust pan and limits the pan capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,117 to Williams partially overcomes the spilling problem with a pan comprising a flat bottom wall, a side wall extending upwardly from one side edge of the bottom wall, and a rear wall extending upwardly from the rear edge of the bottom wall. The other side edge of the pan bottom wall is exposed to form a side discharge opening. Trash can be discharged from the pan by tilting the pan downwardly to lower the exposed side edge of the pan to gravitationally discharge the trash through the pan side discharge opening.
The dust pan of Williams has a flange extending forwardly from the upper edge of the pan rear wall. Apparently, the flange acts as a debris retainer to prevent debris from overflowing the upper edge of the pan rear wall, especially when the pan is tilted to discharge debris from the pan bottom wall. One disadvantage of the flange is that it somewhat limits pan capacity. Also, the flange lies relatively close to the pan bottom wall so that debris can become lodged in the confined space between the flange and the pan bottom wall. Further, the flange involves a problem of cleanability of the dust pan. It would be difficult to insert a cleaning cloth or brush into the confined space between the pan bottom wall and the overlying flange.
A further disadvantage of the Williams dust pan results from the fact that debris or trash piled on the flat bottom wall will tend to gravitate from a pile and over the front edge or side edge of the pan, and prematurely spill out of the pan.
U.S. Pat. No. 633,787 to H. Brown shows a dust pan having a rectangular flat bottom wall, and upstanding walls extending along its rear edge and one side edge. A ridge is defined along the front edge of the pan bottom wall to prevent reverse movement of debris out of the pan front opening. A discharge opening is formed along the other side edge of the pan bottom wall, whereby accumulated debris can be discharged from the pan by tilting the pan in the direction of the discharge opening. A principal disadvantage of this dust pan is that debris piled on the flat bottom wall can gravitationally separate from the pile and prematurely spill out of the pan.